


The Weight of Your Name

by clearpurity2



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear, Symphogear - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 18:41:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20953106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearpurity2/pseuds/clearpurity2
Summary: A new world.A new future.Will you be able to handle it?





	The Weight of Your Name

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after XV ep. 13.

_“You’re being too selfish!”  
“Y-You don’t have to say it like that…”_

Those words continued to ring in her head, bouncing from wall to wall as if she needed a constant reminder of what she said. Tsubasa was going through such a hard time, trying her best to cope with her feelings and deal with the trauma she faced.

The concert was terrible. So many people died, even with Maria and Tsubasa there. She couldn’t imagine the sights they saw that day, and how much it effected them.

_“Sure you can.”_ A voice broke the silence, her eyes finally meeting light. This constant darkness, constant falling, felt as if it would never end. Her memory felt fuzzy, the argument being the most clear image in her brain. But there was this person, someone who continued to whisper to her. Who was this?

Miku felt warmth envelope her body, starting from her arms and down to her legs. It reminded her of home, being snug in her bed…Hibiki beside her. And yet…

_“Don’t you feel it, my dear vessel?”_  
Vessel?  
Her eyes glanced down at the arms around her, taking note of their pink and white gradient color.

_“She felt that guilt, that trauma of living. That guilt of not saving a life. Doesn’t that sound familiar?”_

Miku didn’t move, her mind attempting to catch up.  
“…my guilt?”

The woman didn’t say anything, her hands moving back up to cup Miku’s chin, keeping her head straight.

_“That concert started everything, didn’t it? You invited her to it, yet you couldn’t go. The lives lost that day. I wonder, would you have been one of the casualties?”_

If she died at the concert that day…  
_“Or perhaps, she would have died that day. It would be better, wouldn’t it?”_

Miku’s eyes widened. Her senses were dulled before but now she felt wide awake. Her arms and legs felt stationary, no matter how much she pulled and tugged.

_“You got your wish, did you not?”_ The woman continued to speak, Miku feeling her breath right against her ear.  
_“Finally you communicated your emotions, regardless of how rough they were in the end.”_

Miku still felt confusion; who was this? Why was she talking and why couldn’t she move? The woman’s chuckle tickled her ear.  
_“Fascinating…”_

She whispered before removing her hands, backing away until she stood in front of Miku. The teenager gasped.

“Who…are you?” Was she the one she heard in her dream?

_“The curse is a pesky one, isn’t it? It tears you away from those you love, causing pain and misunderstandings to be born. I am here…to help you.”_

She wasn’t human, that much was obvious from her appearance. Though, did she mean the Curse of Balal?

_“How fitting is it for you to be free from it yet still can’t allow yourself to speak your feelings?”_  
“Huh? Free…from it?”

And yet, even with that, she still couldn’t say how she truly felt? How would she be erased from it?

_“Yes.”_ The woman spoke without missing a beat.  
_“The freedom of the curse breathes new life into you, child. However, you yourself is still too afraid to admit and confront your own emotions. How do you intend to tell her if you can’t face them yourself?”_

Face her own feelings? It’s…been that way for years, she knew that, but she admitted to them just now did she not?

_‘It was my fault. I brought her into this life…I forced her to face all these struggles alone.’_

Miku heard the voice, knowing exactly about those thoughts and feelings but she could never voice them before. It would only cause more stress on her, and that’s the last thing Miku wanted.

She didn’t want to cause stress.  
She didn’t want to break that invisible barrier and travel further into the unknown.  
Staying silent was safer and more comfortable than admitting to something that very well may ruin her friendship.

_“Do you truly believe that?”_  
Miku looked back at the woman in shock.

_“Holding it in would only mean that you would suffer in that silence while she roamed free to speak without any worries. Now that’s not fair, is it?”_  
“What? That’s not—“

“She didn’t even know how you felt…couldn’t even see it with it staring right in her face. She was so focused on her job that she failed to realize you existed.”  
“Don’t say that! That’s not…that’s not who Hibiki is!”

_“Then why were you so angry?”_  
“I-I…”

The woman walked closer, her presence the only thing that provided light within the darkness. Once again cupping her chin, Miku looked into her eyes. They were…almost alluring to look at but filled her with a sense of dread.

_“However, you were the one that forced her into that job in the first place, did you not?”_  
Miku attempted to look away but her grip tightened, keeping her eyes locked within hers.

_“It’s eating away at you. Constantly. Stay silent in order to keep the peace? This peace…is fleeting. Perhaps it’s even false and you only wish to believe that it’s peaceful. Everything is fine, right? But you know for that to be a lie…”_

Her voice went deeper, eyes narrowing.  
_“Trying to undo your own mistakes…”_  
“I-I just…!”

Miku closed her eyes, the ever familiar burning sensation coming back.  
“I know I put her here…I know it’s my fault…but what else can I do? I resigned to offer support instead, watching them from afar while they went on dangerous missions, trying to be that feel of home when they get back! But it’s not enough…it never is!”

_“Then allow me to aid you…”_  
Miku looked back at her once the feeling of her fingers trailed her lips.

_“All of them failed to notice you. You and your feelings. But it’s not their fault, they are merely tools for the taking. Allow me in, my dear vessel. You’re almost there…almost there to admitting everything and laying yourself bare. I can do it for you…”_

Miku tried moving her legs once again but was only met with the reminder of her being stuck. The straps against her body were tight, restricting her to a point where she couldn’t even turn or move an inch without success.

_“Kohinata Miku…”_ Her name gave her chills.  
_“My future. Our future will be filled with the promise of the curse being obliterated and the tools of this world will be under my control.”_

Under her control?  
_Their_ future?

Talking and being by their side would be nice.

Instead of Miku merely living her life normally, she could be there and face the hard times along with Hibiki. She got her into this, she should be helping her…

“I don’t want to be useless…”  
_“And you won’t be.”_

She stared into those eyes again but her appearance began to change. Her hair fell, unkempt from her natural bow. The outfit she wore was black, the silver-like crystal standing out the most. It was her looking into a mirror, seeing a reflection of herself…until those same alluring eyes showed.

_“I am Shem-Ha. Thank you for allowing me in, Kohinata Miku. I am quite sure this was fate calling out to the both of us.”_  
She grinned.

“Ah, wait, no!”

But she couldn’t extend her arm to reach out. Instead, that encroaching darkness fully began to drown her as the God took her appearance and faded away.

——

“Miku? Hey, Miku…”

Miku blinked a few times, staring down at her book before glancing over at Hibiki.  
“Hm?”  
“…you okay?”

Miku stared back at her book.  
The pages were empty.  
That was weird.

Hibiki was attempting to help her get back on track with her schoolwork, but not only her. Chris, Kirika and Shirabe were here to help out too. She was supposed to be writing notes, and she thought she was, but…

“I’m fine.” She finally spoke into the silence. Why were they so quiet?

“All of you can talk, you know. You don’t have to tip toe around me.”  
“O-Oh, we aren’t tip toeing!” Kirika chuckled out, waving her hands.

“Wouldn’t want to overwhelm you.” Shirabe softly added.

“It’s just schoolwork, it’s fine. I need to catch up anyway.”  
Miku went back to her paper, prepared to write but words escaped her. What were they talking about? She couldn’t remember.

“…we were on music theory.” Chris spoke up, leaning over to guide Miku’s eyes back to the papers in front of her.

“Ah, I see. Thank you, Chris.”  
Miku found herself getting slightly back on track thanks to her guidance, the others soon getting right back into it as well.

They seemed rather eager about helping, Kirika and Shirabe soon getting back to their bubbly selves as they pointed out the various answers and ideas they had for the questions.

Chris and Hibiki were a bit more laid back and quiet, though she took note of Hibiki being more quiet than normal. She smiled from time to time, but she didn’t say much.

_“Hard to communicate isn’t it?”_

Miku closed her eyes, shaking her head lightly before focusing again.

It didn’t take long for them to finish, Miku managing to get a good amount of words down. A page and a half; she’d say that was a great start.

“Thanks so much, everyone. I’m grateful.”  
“Anytime!” Kirika grinned. 

“Ah, I even took a visit past the piano room and got some more things for you!”

Carefully, Kirika held out the sheets of paper for Miku to take, smile still present on her lips.

“He said to take your time though. There’s no rush. He’d want you to slowly get yourself back into things, you know?”

“Of course.” Miku chuckled lightly before holding the sheets to her chest.

“I missed playing the piano.”

——

_“I’m sorry.” Hibiki’s voice rang in her ears._

_It was cold, but the warmth of her hand allowed her to forget that. Miku tried her best not to lose herself within it._

_“For not realizing it sooner. I thought you being back home, back where it was safe, meant that you were fine. I always thought that as long as I promised to come back, you wouldn’t have anything to worry about anymore.”_

_She turned to face her, gently grabbing both of her hands.  
“But I was wrong. Back then, I thought telling you that I was fine would work too. I didn’t know any better back then and I guess I still didn’t know better now. After all, it took so long for me to realize how I felt until you were gone…”_

_Miku was silent, carefully listening and taking in each word Hibiki spoke. It was nice to get her feelings out, it was nice for them both to talk, but the fault wasn’t all on Hibiki._

_“Hibiki…” Miku started out, surprised by Hibiki’s deafening silence. The last time she attempted to speak, Hibiki’s thoughts kept running and running…_

_Maybe she used that as an excuse to not express her feelings. Miku took a few extra seconds to herself, the continued silence and extra focus on her making her begin to worry that Hibiki could hear her pounding heart._

_“It’s…it’s not only your fault. I never…spoke up. I never really…knew how to speak up before. I feared if I did…I’d ruin everything. I would cause more worry for you when you already have so much on you. I wanted to be supportive, and I wanted to be better because seeing you find something that made you happy was great. But…”_

_Her grip tightened, Miku closed her eyes.  
“Each and every time you left, or got hurt, I kept blaming myself. Over and over again. If you didn’t go, this wouldn’t have happened. If I didn’t invite you, our lives would be different and we wouldn’t have to deal with it. I-I don’t know if it would be for the best if it was different, but there were times I nearly couldn’t take it anymore. But I had to hide it…because if I didn’t, I knew I’d make it worse…”_

_Miku suddenly felt her body being pulled closer, pressing up against Hibiki’s as she embraced her. Miku was taken back by the action, not even sure if she should return it or not._

_“You can talk to me. I promise. You don’t have to hide anything anymore, Miku.”_

_The freezing air made the tears in her face that much more obvious as Miku finally returned the hug._

_“Let’s stay together, okay? Always.” Her voice sounded just as warm as the hug itself._

_Miku didn’t want to let go.  
She wanted to be enveloped by the sun._

———

Miku stared at the piano in their dorm, the sheets stacked against the music stand.

Playing the piano has always been fun, and it was nice to get back into it.

“Her voice was so shaky that day…” Miku mumbled. The cold very well could have been an excuse but considering what happened, Miku took it as nerves.

Neither of them knew how to progress forward into this new territory. Even if it wasn’t spoke directly or clearly, they both knew what the other meant. Miku believed she would only make things awkward for them both while…perhaps Hibiki didn’t know how to say the exact words back.

Her even feeling the same way felt like an impossible dream.

_“I told you this may end up hurting you in the end.”_

Miku flinched, rubbing her ears before walking away from the piano.

“Hibiki, I’m heading out!”  
She yelled, hearing the faucet in the bathroom immediately stop before seeing Hibiki’s wet head peek out the door.  
“E-Eh!?”

Miku blushed, turning her head away.

“C-Cover yourself first, and take the toothbrush out your mouth. I can barely understand you…”  
Miku opened up one of her eyes ever so slightly, seeing Hibiki’s face flush before wrapping her upper body with the towel.

Clearing her throat, Miku fully turned to face her.  
“I’m…going to head out, alright? I’ll be back.”

“O-Oh wait, I can come with you!” The toothbrush was still in her mouth, her words coming out like a jumbled mess.

“No, no, it’s okay! You don’t have to come along, it’s fine.”  
“What? But…”  
“Hibiki, it’s right down the street. Just to the convenience store to get a few snacks. I promise I won’t be long.”

Hibiki’s reaction was delayed, Miku assuming it was her mulling over her options, before giving in with a sigh.

“Alright. Be careful, okay? Call me if you need help or just…anything in general!”

Miku chuckled.  
“Yes, yes of course.”

With a small wave, Miku left the room, quickly making her way down the street just like she intended.

“That’s her, isn’t it?”  
“Yeah, has to be…she’s not locked up?”

Miku stopped right before reaching the store, her attention being drawn to the people around her.

“The world almost ended because of her.”  
“How is she even still here? Who let her out?”

There were whispers, constantly bouncing around in her ears, eyes constantly staring at her.

“N-No, it wasn’t me…I didn’t do anything…”  
Her low mumbles didn’t matter to them. They continued with their stares and hushed whispers.

“Stop, leave me alone…” Miku covered her ears, trying all that should could to block out every syllable.

_“Your feelings are the reasons why I was able to do what I did, my dear vessel. No other tool would have been more fitting than you. It had to be fate…”_

Her voice tickled against her ear sending chills down Miku’s body. She began to move forward, rushing past people, feeling herself constantly bumping into others.  
“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, just let me leave please…let me go!”

A pair of hands suddenly grabbed her upper arms, keeping her in place. Miku nearly panicked, her body immediately stiffened.

“Hey, you alright?”  
“Ch-Chris?”

The girl was silent, looking side to side before glancing back at Miku.  
“Come on. Let’s take you back to that idiot.”

Miku was surprised to feel the warmth of Chris’ hand envelop her own, pulling her away from the store and back the way she came. As she looked around, the people seemed to be…normal.

No hushed whispers.  
No constant glares.  
Merely people going about their day.

“…”

———

“Hallucinations?” Tsubasa questioned.

“Yeah…” Hibiki made sure to keep her voice low, looking over at Miku and Chris as she stood a ways away.  
“Chris-chan brought her back. She’s sleeping now but only after Chris-chan managed to calm her down.”

Hibiki could hear Tsubasa sigh on the other end.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Tsubasa-san. I shouldn’t be bothering you with this. You’re going through your own hard times…”

“It’s fine, Tachibana.” Her response was quick. “All of you have supported me, and still do…so I’m here to show that support back. Kohinata could use plenty of that as well.”

Hibiki was silent, her eyes still focused on Chris and Miku before Tsubasa’s voice took her focus again.

“I am…attempting to start my career back up. I know saying that sounds funny but…due to what happened at the concert, I couldn’t bring myself to go back. I needed a break…and I’m sure everyone needed a break from me. My love for singing has never went away though of course.”

“Tsubasa-san…”

“But…Maria is here with me. She’s been here to help with everything. And the support from all of you have kept me going. And I believe that Kohinata needs to know that support is there for her too.”

Hibiki could only hope Miku knew. Or at least, she attempted to showcase that.

“Maria and I can’t be there. But…Tachibana. Can you let her know that we’re here for her too? She was there for me so…I want to return the favor.”

“O-Of course!” She made sure to keep her voice down. “I’ll let her know. Don’t worry about that, we got things covered here.”

“Thank you, Tachibana. And tell her…that I’m sorry.”

Hibiki hesitated but didn’t allow the silence to last for too long.

“…I will. Thanks, Tsubasa-san. We will call you later, okay? You and Maria-san have fun!”

“Hard to do when she’s so messy!”  
Maria’s voice echoed from the background, causing Hibiki to chuckle.

“Maria!”

Hibiki could hear the strain and embarrassment in Tsubasa’s voice before the call ended, the teenager staring down at the phone for a few seconds before placing it down on the table. Tsubasa was beginning to sound at least a little bit better now. It would be a long road before she healed but…they’d be there for her along the way.

But now? Her eyes focused back on Miku, walking over to Chris to give her a pat on the shoulder.

“Thanks for the help, Chris-chan.”

“Not a problem. Couldn’t just let her wander around like that.” Chris stopped, turning to face Hibiki with an neutral expression.

“You two alright?”  
“Eh?” 

Hibiki glanced back at her.

“Don’t ‘eh’ me, idiot. It’s a simple question. Just answer it.” Chris kept her eyes on Miku, sitting on the floor right beside the young girl.

“Well, y-yeah, I’d say we’re fine. It can get a little awkward at times but we’re working on it. Really.”

“How about her? With all this…” 

Hibiki stayed silent, finally figuring out her main point. She hesitated for a few extra seconds until she got down on the floor along with Chris, sitting beside her as her eyes stayed fixated on Miku.

“She’s been having nightmares, and just…a hard time sleeping in general. After the final battle, she was fine…for a while. She didn’t like the dark, couldn’t be alone for long periods of time, and she couldn’t really get herself to fall asleep. She kept whimpering whenever she actually did fall asleep…”

She frowned, placing her chin against the edge of the bed.  
“…I stayed up with her every night until she fell asleep. But sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough. She reassures me all that time that it helps but…she really shouldn’t be the one to reassure me. I’m there for her. I don’t want her to worry about upsetting me. I already did a lot of that…”

The silence lingered. Hibiki avoided eye contact with Chris and kept her gaze directly on Miku. She intended to apologize again, not expecting to simply unload all her worries on Chris.

But Chris wrapped her arm around her shoulders, bringing Hibiki closer to lay her head on her shoulder. 

“You’re an idiot. You can’t help but worry, it’s natural. We worry too, and she’ll worry regardless if you want her to or not. The important thing here is to be there for her, no matter what.”

“But what if it isn’t—”

“It’s enough, trust me. Aren’t we all proof of that?” 

Hibiki was silent again, sitting there as her thoughts wandered. It was…weird to be this close. Not as if she had any complaints but Chris doing this? It was unexpected but welcomed.

“Ehe…” Hibiki's awkward chuckle finally broke the silence. “I’m used to doing this to you, even though you’d hit me straight away if I tried.”

“Hell yeah, I would. I’d smack you even now for thinking what you’re doing isn’t enough. But…I’ll spare you today. Don’t let it get to your head.”

Hibiki didn’t look at her, and she knew Chris wasn’t looking at her either. It was nice and content sitting here in the silence surprisingly, Hibiki nearly falling asleep herself before hearing Chris sigh.

“You two need rest.” Placing her hand on Hibiki’s head, she carefully guided the younger girl off her shoulder before standing to her feet.

“Eh? You don’t want to stay? You could if you wanted.” 

“Nah.” She stretched her arms up in the air, stifling a yawn. “You two need the time together. I’ll head back home, probably bother the other two in the meantime about their homework.”

“Thanks, Chris-chan.” 

Chris turned to face her, taking a few extra seconds before shaking her head.  
“No need to thank me. Again, I’m worried too. She managed to help me in my time of need and yet I don’t even know where to begin to help her. But I’m sure you can convey my feelings for me…right?”

“Yeah, of course! I’ll convey everyone’s feelings!” Hibiki clenched her fist, bumping it against Chris’ knuckles.

“Heh, you’re still an idiot. Call me later.”

Hibiki smiled, waving as the girl left before her eyes looked back towards Miku.

“We can do this.”

—–

How long has she been sleeping? Last thing she remembered was Chris’ warm hand as she went to sleep, Hibiki’s smile as a lasting image. 

She could hear voices, their voices, almost like soft lullabies to keep her asleep. It was comforting, no matter how loud they possibly could have been. There were people around her, people that she cared for and that cared for her, and that was enough to keep her calm. 

But the second those voices stopped was also the second she felt her anxiety rise.

It was dark. She never hated the dark until now.

So many things lurked within that could merely grab and drag her down back into that pit of emotions she was trapped within.

_“All I wanted to do was say sorry. I only wanted to apologize. I don’t want to cause trouble, I don’t want to cause worry. Why can’t…I express myself? Why can’t that curse be gone?!”_

Miku closed her eyes.

_“I’m always here to help. I’m always here to support. Maybe that would make up for it all. All these negative thoughts floating within me. Sunshine can’t be thinking this way…”_

Her hands moved to cover her ears. 

_“I’m so tired of being ignored. I’m tired of holding this in. Why can’t I release it? Why can’t I be useful? Why am I so frustrated? Just let me help!”_

She clenched her teeth.

** _“Allow me to convey them for you, child…open yourself up to me…”_ **

The voice was alluring, whispering in her ear to free her from this curse. The one thing that prevented her from connecting with others, telling her how she really felt. 

Opening up…

But she couldn’t. It was scary.

It was…difficult. What if it didn’t work out? What if she ruined everything like she feared? 

No, she managed to convey how she felt. She was stronger than what she initially believed. Even if she didn’t say it directly, Hibiki understood her. Everyone did and that’s all that mattered.

** _“And yet you hesitated with my question.”_ **

_“But I still…believe in myself. I still believe that…regardless of the pain and misunderstandings that we face, it’s all worth it in the end!”_

_ **“Oh?”** _

Miku’s eyes shot open, her eyes directly facing the ceiling. It was dark in their room, slightly accompanied by the small light that sat on their headboard. Hibiki was sleeping as far as she was concerned. The familiar sights relaxed her.

Hibiki hadn’t been getting much sleep lately, only due to Miku’s own sudden insomnia. She didn’t want her to worry and keep herself up for her sake.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, trying all she could to relax…until a set of familiar hands touched the side of her face.

“!?”  
Laughter filled her ears, inching its way underneath her skin. Her body instinctively attempted to move but found herself stuck. No matter what she attempted, her body refused to move but she could feel everything.

_**“Having trouble?”**_ Her hands were cold, tickling against her skin. A smirk adorned Shem-Ha’s lips as she brought herself closer.

_‘Why can’t I move…? I can’t breathe…I can’t talk…!’_

Her lips tried as hard as possible to move, scream, speak, anything.

But all she was faced with were those same alluring gray eyes, the red hue of them pouring right into her soul. 

_ **“I can still help you…”** _

Her eyes could only look as her arms became wrapped in black, restricting her even more. Slowly they crawled up her legs, making their way to her abdomen. Inch by inch, she felt the air leaving her body.

Shem-Ha moved even closer, whispering above the girl’s ear.

** _“Our future…is linked together. Let’s try it again…shall we…?”_ **

_‘No…no! Hibiki…anyone, please…!’_

She could feel her body shaking, struggling to move but her eyes refused to close, tears cascading down her face. It hurt, her chest preparing to burst.

Miku felt that same tongue trail against her ear, that same laugh echoing throughout the room. The Anunnaki moved away, her hands trailing against Hibiki’s face who still seemed to be sleep.

_‘W-Wait…’_

The woman merely smirked, her face moving closer and closer.

_‘Stop…!’_

—–

“Miku!”

Once again, her eyes shot open, taking in gulps of air. She felt hot and nauseated. The same familiar ceiling was there, the dim lamp giving off a hazy glow to the room.

And instead of those dark gray eyes, she was met with golden ones. Her touch was gentle but firm, holding onto her shoulders to indicate worry yet reassurance.

Before she could get a word out, Miku hugged her, burying her face in the crook of Hibiki’s neck. The only thing that filled the air was her brief panting.

Miku couldn’t seem to catch her breath, her body practically vibrating against Hibiki.

“Miku…”

Hibiki was at a loss at what to say. She wanted to convey those feelings everyone gave her and pass them onto Miku so she knew. But would it be enough? How could she?

_“It’s enough. Trust me.”_

Chris’ words echoed in her head again. It didn’t take long for Hibiki to wrap her arms around her, fingers gently tangling themselves within Miku’s hair. It was somewhat matted, perhaps due to how she was sleeping. Part of her remembered how messy her hair was when Shem-Ha was there; the one piece of Miku that was always there, her bow, was gone.

That wasn’t the only piece of Miku, however.

——

_Miku erupted into laughter, Hibiki feeling her cheeks light up._

_“Wh-What’s so funny?”_

_“I’m…I’m sorry!” Miku wiped at her eyes. “I just…wasn’t expecting to hear you say something like that.”_

_“W-Well, I meant it!” _

_“Heh, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say the cold was making your face red.” Miku giggled, covering her mouth as her eyes glanced away.  
“It’s cute though.”_

_“E-Eh?”_

_Hibiki folded her arms, a pout forming on her face. But…her eyes snuck back over towards Miku. Hibiki may have been blushing, but so was Miku despite all the laughing. _

_The laughter alone was enough to make her happy._  
_Her smile too._  
_She longed to see it again.  
_Longed to hear her voice again. __

_ _ __ _ _

__

_“Everything…is for our future, huh?” Miku spoke again, keeping her eyes down on the ground. Her foot drew circles in the powder of snow beneath them._

_“And I still mean it.”  
Gently, Hibiki grabbed her hand._

_“My hand…”_

_Hibiki guided Miku’s hand over her heart._

_“My heart…”_

_She pulled it away, guiding it to stay stationary in the air between them both._

_“My everything…” Finishing the sentence proved too hard but Miku’s expression was enough to paint the picture. Hibiki grinned._

_“…you cold?”_

_Miku flinched. Now it was her turn to pout and look away.  
“Y-Yes, I am! Let’s go back inside. The world may not be in trouble anymore, but it doesn’t mean our responsibilities at school are o-over…”_

_“Hehe, okay, okay.”_

_Slowly and carefully, Hibiki stood to her feet, not once letting go of Miku’s hand. The girl beside her smiled, her face flushed perhaps just as much as her own. But…it was nice. _

_Despite the shakes, the nerves and fear…everything finally felt right._

_Normal._

——

_‘I was shaking so much that day…but so was she. I didn’t know what to say, or how to say what I wanted but…I think she understood how I felt. And I understood how she did too.’_

Hibiki had no idea how long she held onto Miku. Was it hours or merely minutes? Regardless of the passage of time, she didn’t care. She’d hold on for as long as possible.

Words still wouldn’t come to her so instead, she began humming. At first, she wasn’t sure why this song came to mind and she even worried that it would make her feel worse. Yet the longer she went on, the more confident she felt.

“Let’s make history with a light the likes even God hasn’t seen. A future flooded with light…won’t you fly there with us? Wings stained with tears of just feeling…” 

Hibiki closed her eyes, fingers still drifting within Miku’s hair as she continued to sing gently as possible.

“When it feels…like you can’t flap those wings anymore, make a wish. I’ll hold that hand and add my strength to yours…”

She kept at it, remembering the lyrics that were imprinted in her heart. It wasn’t her original song but…it was the one that started all this. The one Miku introduced her to and set off these chain of events.

There was never any blame placed on Miku. Not once has she ever thought about it that way. They spoke about it once, but Hibiki knew that wouldn’t be the end of it. Miku’s shaking was proof of it.

But as the song continued, the girl in her arms finally began to calm down. 

_‘The future…’_  
Their future.  
Her name.

Miku wanted to sing along with her and continue sharing those feelings. But she felt exhausted. 

_‘She’s here. They all are…I’m not alone. Not anymore. I’m stronger than this…’_

Not once did Miku make any noise until the eventual sound of her soft breathing caught Hibiki’s attention. But even if she was finally sleeping, Hibiki didn’t move. She stayed like this, arms wrapped around Miku as her back rested against the wall.

Hibiki closed her eyes.

“It’ll take time, but everything will be okay…” Hibiki whispered, a small smile forming on her lips.

“We’ll be living out our lives together, after all…”


End file.
